When you look at the teams at the top of the NFL you notice a common theme: offensive playmakers. The Eagles have A.J. Brown, the 49ers have Deebo Samuel, and the Chiefs have Travis Kelce. The Lions right now don’t have a designated playmaker but they could have two.
This is by no means a knock on Amon-Ra St. Brown, he has been Mr. Reliable in this Lions offense. What they need is someone who can be a true mismatch, game-breaker type of player on offense, and they have two of them with a combined 77 touches in 20 games between them.
Jameson Williams has played in eight games this season with 13 touches, Sam LaPorta has been a heavy part of the offense with 67 receptions. The targets and usage need to be picked up for Williams and maintained for LaPorta.
LaPorta is averaging just over seven targets a game this season. If the Lions can get that number to around 10, then they should see their offense open up more. Defenses can’t stack the box to stop the running game led by David Montgomery and it allows for more passing game work for those running backs as well. The rookie tight end has had 10 or more targets in three games this season; here are some numbers from those games:
- The Lions are undefeated with a combined score of 66-24
- Sam LaPorta has scored in each game with 10 or more targets
- The Lions offense as a whole is averaging 408 yards of total offense
In the case of Jameson Williams, his skillset could be used in a multitude of ways including running the ball as we saw on week 13. He has been targeted 24 times this season with every time being the Lions attempt at pushing the ball downfield. His air yards are at exactly 30 heading into week 14 against the Bears. Their secondary is a weak spot for them and could be taken advantage of with Williams’ speed.
Ben Johnson and Jared Goff need to make him a more important cog in the offense this week and going forward. He could be the reason this Lions offense catches fire and takes the necessary next step. Without them pushing the ball downfield and getting explosive plays they will fall come the playoffs.
The Eagles laid the blueprint for success last year. Utilize the rushing attack, control time of possession, and when the time calls for it you attack downfield. This year they had trouble with that and are now struggling offensively and are coming off a blowout loss to the 49ers.
Both Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta are proven playmakers. They can be trusted and they must be used. The decision to do so could very well decide the Lions season.